Now Or Never
by butterflycullen429
Summary: Blaine learns that his parents are having some financial troubles, and decides to transfer to a new school so he can help the situation. There, he faces bullying, slushy facials, and homophobia. But, he also meets a certain blue-eyed boy that teaches Blaine how to be courageous. Full summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Blaine finds out that his parents are having financial troubles, and decides to transfer to a public school to help the situation. He ends up transferring to McKinley High where he faces bullies, and homophobia. But, he also meets a certain blue-eyed boy who teaches him how to be truly courageous.**

**Disclaimer: **

**Me: Blaine, would you do the honors.**

**Blaine: No, can't you see that I'm washing slushy out of my hair.**

**Me: If you don't, I'll hide your hair gel!**

**Blaine (Narrows his eyes at me): You wouldn't.**

**Me: And your bow ties. (smiles wickedly)**

**Blaine: Fine. Little Miss Pris over here does so not own Glee. She just wishes she does.**

**Me: You are sooo right. Enjoy ;)**

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''I just don't see how we'll work this out.'', George Anderson said to his wife, Emily Anderson, as she stood at the kitchen sink washing the dishes from dinner while her husband sat at the kitchen table going over their budget for the month. They had sent their son, Blaine, to his room so they could discuss this matter in private, not wanting to worry the happy-go-lucky teenager.

''We'll work it out, just like every month.'', Emily reassured her husband as she dried her hands off with the dish towel. She walked across the small kitchen, and rested a hand on her husbands shoulder in comfort.

''I just hope that check from Cooper comes through. Last month it didn't, and now we're behind on bills. If it happens again, we're going to need to have a talk Dalton's headmaster about getting even more financial help then we already are.'' George reached up to capture his wife's hand on his shoulder when she dropped a delicate kiss on his forehead.

''Maybe we should talk to Blaine about-''

''No.'', George cut his wife off before continuing, ''Blaine's safe at Dalton, and you know for a fact that he would _beg_ to transfer to a public school if it meant helping us. I'm not going through a repeat of what happened after that damn Sadie Hawkins dance. I still see the look in his eyes sometimes, the blank stare, the stare that means he's starting to believe it when people tell him that he's a worthless you-know-what. I'm not letting my son go through that.''

Emily let out a sigh before responding. ''You're right, I shouldn't have even suggested it.''

George turned to face his wife in his chair, holding tight to the hand that had been on his shoulder, and resting his other hand on her cheek in a loving caress. The love in the room surrounding them was palpable, an abstract notion that could be touched and felt and _lived_.

''We'll get through this _together. _I promise.'', George told his wife before pulling her down for a soft kiss.

Unbeknownst to them, however, was the fact that their youngest son, Blaine, had listened to the entire conversation hidden just behind the entrance to the kitchen.

* * *

Blaine walked back upstairs to his room slowly, and sat down on his bed. The talk he'd just overheard between his parents swirled around in a confusing jumble of words, feelings, and confusion inside his head. His father had mentioned something about Cooper sending a check, and financial help from Dalton. What did that mean? Was Cooper sending his parents money to help them? Had Blaine been getting financial help from Dalton the entire time he'd gone there? How bad was the money situation? And, the question that haunted him the most, Was it his fault?

He didn't know the answer to any of his questions, but he did know that he had to come up with a way to help ease some of the pressure off his parents resulting from the situation.

Even with the financial help from Dalton they were getting, it obviously wasn't enough to help. He could apply for a full scholarship, but then he would need parental permission. From the conversation he'd just heard, his parents wanted desperately to keep the situation from him. That plan was out.

He could get a part time job, and give his parents the money. No, then they would become suspicious. He could empty his college fund to unanimously give the money to his parents, but then he would definitely need parental consent. The job plan was still an option if he put the money in the mail box in a blank envelope addressed to them, but then his parents would wonder where his money was going. None of these plans would work!

Finally, Blaine came to a decision. Obviously, tuition at Dalton was steep, and even with the financial help, his parents were still struggling to make ends meet. Dalton was also very sheltered. The no-bullying policy was great, but Blaine knew the real world wasn't that way. He would eventually have to face those bullies with courage, and it was now or never.

With this in mind, Blaine made on of the most important decisions he's ever had to make. He'd decided he was going to ask his parents if he could transfer to a public school. The real problem would be convincing them without letting them in on the real reason. Now, that would take some planning. He took a deep breath before settling in at his desk to draw up some ideas that might help his transfer case.

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**Ok, so I really need to know what you guys think. If I get enough reviews, I will continue writing this, and it will become my first multi-chapter story. Review! Review! REVIEW! **

**Also, does the fact that it's technically written in past tense bother you? If so, let me know, and I will revise the chapter.**

**Thank you so much for clicking on this story! Please REVIEW!**


	2. Compromise

**I own nothing. Enjoy**

**Compromise**

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Blaine sucked in a deep breath before he walked into the living room where his parents had been watching a movie.

''Um, I need to talk to guys about something?'', Blaine's statement came out as a question, and he internally kicked himself. He could sing and dance in front of an audience, but talking to his parents made him feel the flutter of butterflies being set free in his stomach? Yeah, it didn't make sense to him either.

His parents exchanged a rather nervous look before his dad took the remote and muted the television. Blaine remembers the last time a scene similar to the one unfolding before him happened.

_Flashback_

_Blaine walked tentatively into the family living room, wiping his sweaty palms dry on his favorite pair of jeans. He stood next to the couch silently until his parents had turned off the television set and given Blaine their undivided attention._

_''Do you need something, Blaine?'', his mother asked kindly after sharing a weighted look with her husband. _

_''I need to tell you guys something.'', Blaine stated as he tentatively sat down on the arm-chair, and turned so he could face his parents on the couch._

_''What ever it is , Blaine, it's going to be okay.'', the words fell from his fathers lips without any hesitancy. George could her the tremor in his sons voice, and Emily could sense the nervous waves rolling off her sons body in perilous amounts.  
_

_''It's just that, well, I love you guys, and I don't want what I'm about to say to ruin our family.''_

_''What do you mean, sweetie?'', you could hear the tremble in his mother's voice as concern spiked for her youngest son. This wasn't the happy and confident Blaine they were used to._

_Blaine took a deep breath before letting out two words that would change his life forever, whether it be good or bad. ''I'm gay.''_

_Blaine couldn't bring himself to look at his parents, afraid of the disappointment, anger, or resentment that seemed to be the result when something like this happened on TV. He settled his eyes on the hardwood floor, gazing so intently at the dark wood paneling as if it would somehow come to life and tell him what the meaning of his existence was. _

_The silence in the room was such a loud scream that Blaine wanted to run back upstairs to the sanctuary of his room with his hands over his ears so he didn't have to listen to the unspoken words the silence carried to him._

_Suddenly, there were arms wrapping around him a loving embrace. The scent of his mothers favorite perfume invaded his senses as he finally let the fear and nerves explode out of him in the form earth-shattering sobs._

_''Blaine, sh, it's ok, honey. Your father and I love you no matter what. If you're gay, then that's just something we'll have to get used to.''_

_''You're not mad, and you're not gonna kick me out?'', Blaine asks after gaining the courage to lift his head so he could look at his fathers face. There, Blaine found only love and acceptance mixed with a bit of understandable concern._

_''Of course not, why would you think that?'', his fathers gaze was now filled with confusion._

_''Well, that's the way it happens in all the movies. Plus, what about your reputation?''_

_His mother started rubbing soothing, gentle circles on his back when she realised the Blaine was afraid that his own parents wouldn't accept him.  
_

_His father laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, and offered Blaine a gentle smile._

_''We love and accept you no matter what you are or who you're attracted to. If other people have an issue with that, then they can deal with me.''_

_His fathers words washed over him like a cool wave of relief, and Blaine knew that he was going to be okay.  
_

_End flashback_

That was the day he'd finally come out to his parents. That was the day the Anderson's began learning who the real Blaine was, and accepted him for it.

''Is everything alright, Blaine.'', his fathers question brought him back to the present. A present in which his parents were throwing worried glances full of love and concern at their son, remembering the last time an instance like this had happened.

''I've been going to Dalton for a while now, and I it love there. But, the thing is, it's to sheltered. For so long Dalton has been my escape from the bullies and the hate, but I know that the real world is nothing like that. I need to face the world myself. I need to learn how to survive in the real world, and not crawl into a protective shell every time somebody calls me a fag.'' Blaine's parents visibly flinch at the word that had long since been banned from the household.

''I need a chance to find out I really am, and I can't get that at Dalton.'', Blaine finishes.

Blaine exhaled sharply, happy to feel the crushing weight off his shoulders.

''What are you saying?'', his mother questioned slowly.

''I want to transfer to a public school.''

Blaine's words had an immediate effect on his parents. Both reared up off the couch, and a flurry of words and sounds followed.

''Mom, Dad, I've thought about this a lot, and I know that it's what I really want.''

''But, why, Blaine? I thought you liked it at Dalton Academy.''

''I do like Dalton, but, like I said, it's too sheltered. I need to prepare myself for the real world, and Dalton can't help me there.'', Blaine said in response to his mother's question.

''What about the bullies, Blaine?'', his father asked.

''Dad, no matter where I go, there is always going to be somebody there who doesn't like me just because of who I am. I know that you guys want me safe, but I'm not going to have either of you when I go off to college, and I need to learn how to deal with prejudice on my own.''

''Sweetie, are you sure?'', Blaine's mother tried once again to sway her sons decision.

Blaine nodded his head eagerly.

''Fine.'', his father spoke up. ''But, there are some rules your going to need to follow if you want to transfer.''

Blaine nearly jumped for joy, but instead he asked, ''Compromise?''

It wasn't an unfamiliar term in the Anderson home. Often, his parents would have to draw up a compromise when he Cooper got into a fight when they were younger. And on multiple occasions, he'd had to compromise on things with his parents.

''Yes, a compromise. You cannot leave the house without your cellphone, and you have to text or call either your mother or me when you are leaving school. If _anything_ happens, whether it's a snide comment or a shove, you go to a teacher immediately and then call both your mother and I. If you break any of these rules, Blaine, you will be grounded, got it?''

Blaine nodded eagerly, and said, ''Yes sir.''

''Good, now we'll continue this conversation later. You go look on-line for a school, but it can't be more than an hour away. We'll talk more on this subject over dinner.''

Blaine nodded, and practically skipped to his room. His plan had worked, and it wasn't even that hard to convince them!

Blaine entered his room, and walked over to boot up his laptop for a little research on schools. Now, all he had to do was pick one.

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**Next chapter Blaine will go to his first day at his new school. Three guesses which school he chooses.**

**I eat reviews like candy ;) **


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